A burglar made a clean getaway from a Long Island restaurant after emptying the cash register, cooking a meal and washing the dishes.
Owner Will Colon said he found bent burglar bars and $100 missing when he arrived Tuesday at Nelly’s Taqueria in Hicksville, New York.
Security video showed the intruder – a young man – putting on food-service gloves and heating up a pot before hammering the register open.
Will Colon said he found bent burglar bars and $100 missing when he arrived Tuesday at Nelly’s Taqueria in Hicksville, New York
Security video showed the intruder – a young man – put on food-service gloves and heating up a pot before hammering the register open
He pocketed the money and put a dollar in the tip jar.
‘He was cooking up a storm,’ Colon told Newsday.
‘He heated up some beans, he sauteed some chicken and some shrimp. The way he handled that pan, man, the dude had some skills.’
While Colon was not thrilled about the robbery, he was slightly impressed that the burglar was able to cook in dark.
‘He heated up some beans, he sauteed some chicken and some shrimp. The way he handled that pan, man, the dude had some skills,’ said Colon (left) to Newsday
‘The only light was from one of those neon fixtures that traps bugs.’
Colon asserted that the intruder followed kitchen protocol following his meal.
He covered and refrigerated the food and wiped down surfaces. The thief also washed and dried pots, putting them all back.
The video is currently being used in an active investigation by the Nassau County police.
Further inspection of the footage found that the same man had come into the restaurant that Monday morning and spent two hours wrapping up food.
Further inspection of the footage found that the same man had come into the restaurant that Monday morning and spent two hours wrapping food
While Colon thought the man worked cleanly, he didn’t take his chances. He kept Nelly’s closed and spent Tuesday cleaning the establishment
And while Colon thought the man worked clean, he didn’t take his chances. He kept Nelly’s closed and spent Tuesday cleaning the establishment.
‘I really couldn’t see everything he did,’ he said.
On Wednesday, they reopened.
Colon added: ‘And it was a good thing that we were because it was National Taco Day.’